Maui News

The Hawai’i Department of Health is encouraging adults and seniors to take precautions to stay healthy in observance of National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month. Annually, about 160 people require medical treatment for a spinal cord injury – caused by a sudden blow to the spine that can result in temporary or permanent paralysis.

Maui County hotels reported revenue per available room of $18 (-94.2%), with declines in both average daily rate to $207 (-47.2%) and occupancy of 8.6 percent (down 69.4 percentage points).

The County is providing iPads with internet access for educational use, starting at the War Memorial Gym site. Distance learning could expand to other locations based on interest, according to Maui Mayor Michael Victorino.

The code says community plans are to be comprehensively updated every 10 years, but the county has fallen behind, Council Chair Lee said. Hāna’s plan was last updated 26 years ago. It’s among a list of six plans within the county that last underwent comprehensive updates in the 90s.

There were 110 new COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i today including 100 on O‘ahu, three in Maui County (two on Maui and one on Moloka‘i), and seven on Hawai‘i Island. Maui County had three new cases today, with the cumulative total rising to 384.  The latest cases include two in Kahului and one in Kauanakakai on Molokaʻi.  To date, there have been 16 cases on Molokaʻi over the course of the pandemic.

Maui police responded to seven burglaries, 13 vehicle thefts and 11 vehicle break-ins in Maui County over a seven day period from Sept. 6 to Sept. 12, 2020.

Applicants are being sought for 46 vacancies on Maui County boards, commissions, councils and committees.  The application deadline for all applicants is Nov. 16, 2020.

In the Hawai‘i State Legislature, HLTA endorsed incumbents Gil Keith-Agaran, Justin Woodson, and Lynn DeCoite to retain their seats, citing their support of the tourism industry on the Valley Isle.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has compiled a list of Native Hawaiian-owned businesses operating during COVID in the hopes of generating support for the local economy.  

Previously those seeking exemptions, such as critical medical or infrastructure workers had to communicate with, and provide information to the state via email.  Department officials say the new online form and submission system will mean more efficient interactions with exemption seekers, better data gathering and access for decision makers.

There were 114 new COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i today including 105 on O‘ahu and nine on Hawai‘i Island. Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 death toll rose to 120 as the state confirmed 12 deaths on Hawaiʻi Island and one on O‘ahu.

The fire was reported behind 1831 and 1843 Wili Pā Loop at around 9:50 p.m. on Sept. 17, 2020.  Crews contained the fire by 10:40 p.m. and had the fire extinguished by 11:41 p.m.  

The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations has updated its unemployment insurance claims information, including paying $3,186,067,022 and 3,307,331 weeks claimed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 1, 2020.

State officials have confirmed 15 of the 18 deaths reported at the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island.  The state Department of health had previously confirmed three deaths, and today, confirmed 12 more deaths among residents of the facility.

The Hawai‘i State Department of Labor & Industrial Relations announced on Thursday that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August was 12.5 percent compared to the revised rate of 13.5 percent in July. Initial and weekly unemployment insurance claims also continue to decrease while establishments remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Maui Police Department currently has five unclaimed bodies at their forensic facility in Wailuku. Officials are requesting assistance from the public in contacting family members of the deceased.

More than 15 Maui businesses, including eight restaurants, have closed their doors for good due to the lack of tourism and other economic woes caused by the coronavirus. Many more Maui businesses are teetering on the brink, as government assistance programs for small businesses dry up and the pandemic drags on. “We are literally hanging on by our fingertips,” said Josh Curi, owner of Da Babooze Bar in Wailuku.

Gov. Ige said, “We’ve asked landlords to be patient until we could start these types of programs to ensure we don’t add to our homeless populations. Most importantly, this program will help strengthen families and allow them to remain in their homes.”

A downtown Las Vegas regular from Hawaiʻi turned her visit to Fremont Hotel and Casino into a nearly $790,000 jackpot playing Aristocrat’s Buffalo Inferno™ slot game on Wednesday, Sept. 16.

There were 160 new COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i today including 137 on O‘ahu, three in Maui County and 20 on Hawai‘i Island. Hawai‘i’s COVID-19 death toll rose to 107 with the passing of four more O‘ahu residents.